Robert Archibald Armstrong facts for kids

Robert Archibald Armstrong (born 1788, died 1867) was a very important Scottish scholar who created the first big dictionary for the Scottish Gaelic language. He was born in a place called Kenmore, Perthshire, in Scotland.

Armstrong was a smart student. He studied at Edinburgh and at St. Andrews University, which are famous universities in Scotland. After finishing his studies, he moved to London and became a teacher. He ran several good schools there.

Armstrong's Big Dictionary

While teaching, Robert Armstrong spent his free time working on a huge project: a Gaelic dictionary. This was a very important book because it was the first time anyone had made a full dictionary for the Gaelic language. Before his book, there were only smaller lists of words.

His dictionary was called A Gaelic Dictionary, in two parts — I. Gaelic and English, II. English and Gaelic. It was published in London in 1825. This book was almost 1100 pages long!

What Made His Dictionary Special?

Armstrong's dictionary was special for a few reasons:

• It was the first Gaelic dictionary to try and explain where words came from (their etymology).
• It included a Gaelic grammar, which helps people understand how the language works.
• It also showed what kind of word each entry was (like if it was a noun or a verb).

Some people, like Thompson Cooper, thought his dictionary was a "most meritorious work," meaning it was excellent. They liked how he tried to find connections between Gaelic words and words in other languages.

Debates About the Dictionary

However, later scholars had different opinions. For example, W. Steven Dodd pointed out some things that weren't quite right:

• Armstrong believed in the stories of Ossian, an ancient Scottish poet, which many people now think were not real.
• He also thought that all languages came from one single origin, which is a debated idea.
• He incorrectly believed that Scottish Gaelic was the original language for Irish Gaelic, Manx Gaelic, and even Welsh, which are all separate Celtic languages.

Three years after Armstrong's dictionary came out, another even bigger Gaelic dictionary was published. This one was put together by the Highland Society of Scotland in 1828.

Challenges and Later Life

Publishing his big dictionary cost Robert Armstrong a lot of money. He used up his own small savings, and he actually lost money on the book.

To support his family, he started a school called the South Lambeth Grammar School. He ran this school for about 22 years.

When he retired from teaching in 1852, he was not doing well financially. People told Lord Palmerston, who was a very important politician, about Armstrong's situation. Lord Palmerston helped him get a special payment called a civil list pension, which was £60 a year. He also received money from the Royal Literary Fund.

These payments helped him start teaching again, even though he was getting very old. He continued to teach until he became very ill about a week before he passed away.

In 1826, he was given an honorary title: "Gaelic lexicographer in ordinary to the king." This was a special title, but it didn't come with any salary.

Robert Armstrong died on May 25, 1867, in Peckham Rye, Surrey. After his death, Lord Derby suggested that Queen Victoria give £100 to help his family. Later, in 1869, Queen Victoria also granted an annual pension of £50 to his wife, Emma, on the advice of Prime Minister Gladstone. Robert and Emma Armstrong had three daughters.

See also

• Scottish Gaelic dictionaries